


OC:  Winter Soldier

by Arboreal



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Crack, M/M, modern!Bucky
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-10-13
Packaged: 2019-04-07 04:36:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14073036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arboreal/pseuds/Arboreal
Summary: Modern day Bucky writes Avengers fanfiction as a way to deal with losing his arm while in the military. The Winter Soldier is an original character he concocted as a villain for one of his stories that becomes popular. Only his villain's plots to take down the Avengers turn out to be a little too good. Also, would shipping the Winter Soldier with Iron Man be a little too Mary Sue?





	1. Bucky Writes Fanfiction

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to [dls](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/dls/pseuds/dls) for both cheerleading and betaing this chapter.
> 
> This story is meant to be just fun and silly. Hopefully you enjoy it!

Bucky would just like to point out that if _How I Met Your Mother_ hadn’t had such an awful series finale, none of this would have happened.  He’d just been looking for something lighthearted to watch in between doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, and counseling sessions after losing his arm in combat, and _How I Met Your Mother_ seemed perfect when he came across it on Netflix.  It was funny, zany, and had a great cast of characters.  It even guaranteed a happy ending, right there in the title.  For over a month and a half Bucky binge watched over two hundred episodes while he slowly started getting his own life together, always looking forward to the big reveal and a happily ever after in the last episode.  Boy, had he been in for an unpleasant surprise.

After, he just hadn’t been able to let it go.  He complained to his parents, who were sympathetic but confused since they’d never watched the show, and to his sister, who cackled because she had watched it and hadn’t warned him.  He complained to his physical therapist, who was too focused on making sure Bucky used the correct form on his exercises to do more than hum in distracted agreement, and he complained to his counselor, who listened to Bucky’s ramblings with annoyingly knowing eyes and asked Bucky why he thought the ending bothered him so much. 

It wasn’t until he was leaving his counselor’s office and saw Darcy waiting for her own appointment, though, that his life really started going down a rabbit hole.  He’d never asked why a political science major from Culver University needed to see a therapist specializing in PTSD, it wasn’t any of his business after all, and Darcy had only mentioned in passing once that interning in astrophysics was surprisingly dangerous to your mental health, but they had chatted a few times in the waiting area and Bucky stopped to say hello. 

When the conversation eventually led to Bucky’s disappointment in the final episode of _How I Met Your Mother_ , as all of his conversations had the last few days, Darcy had cocked her head and said, “That’s ancient news, dude, the show ended, like, a million years ago.  Just google fix-it fics, there must be a million of them.”  At Bucky’s blank look, Darcy had rolled her eyes, pulled out her phone, and demanded Bucky’s phone number.  A few minutes of typing later, Darcy looked up with a grin.

“Okay, Bucky-boy, I’ve sent you a link to all the happy alternate ending stories you could want.  Don’t forget to read the warnings.” 

“What?” Bucky asked, blinking in confusion, but just then Darcy’s name was called.  She hopped up with smile and a wave for Bucky and was gone.

Later, when he checked his texts and clicked on the link Darcy had sent, he found himself on a page full of stories by fans where they imagined the final episode ending differently.  There were a few dozen rather than the promised million, but Darcy was known to exaggerate, and some were better written than others, but a few were so good that Bucky read them two or three times.  It eased something in Bucky to read Ted and Tracy getting their happily ever after.

It was all downhill from there, really.  Bucky checked the _How I Met Your Mother_ tag every day for new stories, followed a few authors on Tumblr, and began to branch out into other fandoms.  One of his favorite authors from the _HIMYM_ fandom, Mister_Neverdie, whose Tumblr consisted mainly of pictures of kittens and swords, sometimes kittens with swords, and chimichangas, also wrote for the Avengers fandom.  It seemed a little weird to write about real people, but since no one knew much about them except their codenames, Bucky supposed it wasn’t too bad.  Their flashy costumes certainly made them seem more like cartoon characters than someone you’d meet on the street.  Mister_Neverdie was also a big Iron Man/Captain America shipper, it turned out, and the reason why Bucky wished he had followed Darcy’s advice from the beginning to always read the warnings.  Bucky would never look at the Iron Man armor the same way ever again … who knew armor kink was even a thing?  And he now knew what a whole slew of acronyms meant that he may have been better off not knowing.  He could not unread what had been read.

 

_TednTracy_forever:  You have scarred me forever, just so you know._

_Mister_Neverdie:  I prefer ‘informed’._

_TednTracy_forever:  You would._

_Mister_Neverdie:  I’m just exploring all the beautiful ways people can love each other._

_TednTracy_forever:  Even what Captain America did to Iron Man’s helmet in front of Hawkeye in your last story?_

_Mister_Neverdie:  Love comes in many forms … and on many forms._

_Mister_Neverdie:  Pun intended._

 

Bucky, along with everyone else, had followed the superhero group called the Avengers since they appeared just in time to save New York from both aliens and a nuclear missile.  After the attack on New York, some outfit named SHIELD had issued a press release explaining that the Avengers were a group of extraordinary individuals who made up the world’s last line of defense.  Bucky might have felt a little better about that if Earth’s last line of defense had included a few more people and maybe a spacecraft or two with actual weaponry, but no one had asked him.

SHIELD was tight-lipped about the members of the Avengers, releasing only their codenames and a short bio about each member.  Everyone already knew Iron Man, Tony Stark’s bodyguard who flew around in a suit of armor built by Stark himself.  In addition there was Captain America, who had supposedly been frozen for the past seventy years since World War II; Thor, as in the Norse god who was actually an alien;  the Hulk, the result of some poor schmuck caught in a science experiment gone bad; Hawkeye, a sniper who used a freaking bow and arrows; and the Black Widow, who was some sort of super spy slash ballerina.  Honestly, Bucky couldn’t believe this was a government sanctioned team, but they certainly got the job done. 

Since then the Avengers had been called out to deal with a small but growing number of supervillains set on taking over the world.  At least, the press called them supervillains.  Bucky more often than not called them idiots.

 

_TednTracy_forever:  So Doctor Doom lost a battle with the Avengers because the magical artifact he was using blew up in his face.  He literally didn’t read the instructions, just decided to wing it.  With a powerful magical artifact.  How stupid can you be?_

_Mister_Neverdie:  Did you want him to win?  He does pull off a cape well._

_TednTracy_forever:  Well, no.  He took out my favorite running path in Prospect Park.  I ended up running with the blond guy who just moved in across the hall.  If I hear ‘on your left’ one more time I won’t be held responsible for my actions.  I’m just saying the quality of supervillains going up against the Avengers is pretty low.  I bet I could come up with a better supervillain plan than any of them._

_Mister_Neverdie:  Good enough to take down the Avengers?  That would be a tall order even for an immortal swordsman who can survive being shot with a bazooka.  I’m not sure you and your TM4eva heart could do it._

_TednTracy_forever:  Challenge accepted!  I’ll come up with a plan that they’d never see coming._

_Mister_Neverdie:  Ooh, goody!  Can I be your minion?  I don’t usually go in for the minion schtick, but I think it might be a fun.  I have excellent references.  I’m an expert at *many* things.  ;)_

_TednTracy_forever:  Some of those *many things* I want nowhere near me, but sure.  And, well, I haven’t written anything but mission reports for years, so it may take me a while before I post a chapter._

_Mister_Neverdie:  Oh right, a_ chapter _*wink, wink.*_   _Nothing illegal or villainous happening here, look away people!  Just a couple of law-abiding citizens talking about literature and true love!_

_TednTracy_forever:  Isn’t that what we always talk about?  And I need a name for my villain.  Something cool._

_Minster_Neverdie:  You need a name so cool it’s cold!_

 

And that was how Bucky came up with the Winter Soldier.


	2. Loki Learns To Comment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [dls](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/dls/pseuds/dls) for both cheerleading and betaing this chapter!

Bucky stared down at the spiral bound notebook open in front of him and twirled a cheap ballpoint pen in his hand.  Aside from the ruled lines, the pages mocked him by remaining stubbornly empty.  Damn it, how had he never realized how intimidating a blank piece of paper could be?  He had switched to the notebook in desperation after staring at his computer’s blinking cursor for an hour, but it had yet to help.  Bucky continued to glare until he finally huffed at himself in irritation and jotted down the first thing that came to his head.

 _The Winter Soldier may be a supervillain, but he was_ not _an idiot._

Okay, that was … something.  There were actual written words on the page, at least.  But, really, the whole point was for the Winter Soldier to take down the Avengers.  Wasn’t that idiotic to begin with, though?  The Avengers were meant to defend the Earth from threats no one else could handle.  Inadequate as Bucky thought six people and a shady government agency were for that job, at least they provided some protection. 

Really, if the Winter Soldier was smart, he’d be trying to convince people to make the Avengers bigger, stronger.  Bucky snorted. 

 _Dear Senator,_ he wrote, lips twitching, _I and many of your constituents would like to not die in the likely event of another alien invasion.  Please consider adding a few more members to the Avengers Initiative, along with spaceships armed with lasers.  Sincerely, The Winter Soldier._

Bucky was about to dismiss the bout of silliness but paused.  He hadn’t really been worried about coming up with a motivation for the Winter Soldier.  None of the _real_ villains seemed all that bothered with having a decent one, after all.  But now that he thought about it, if his villain was concerned with the safety of the world, he might decide to _show_ the world that the Avengers were not enough.  It would also explain why the Winter Soldier never actually _killed_ anyone.  His villain just wanted to prove a point, which meant Bucky wouldn’t have to think about murdering anyone, even on paper.  Bucky started to grin.

_Every supervillain has an origin story, something that occurs to turn them from the straight and narrow.  It may be trust betrayed, or love lost.  Perhaps damaged pride, or simple greed.  For the Winter Soldier, it was the congressional aide who told him to please stop calling, the Avengers had everything under control.  “If they will not listen,” he said, donning his mask, “I will make them listen.”_

Okay, Bucky thought, hunching over the notebook.  He could work with this.

 

~.~.~.

 

“Avengers, you cowardly curs!  Free my clever and fierce ally, the Winter Soldier, or I will end your pathetic existence!”

Tony Stark swore as he dodged another blast of Loki’s magic, the green energy passing so close to the Iron Man suit the entire armor shuddered.  The electronics sputtered, but held, and Tony wheeled around midair, firing his repulsors at the mage.  Loki vanished before the blasts could reach him, appearing behind Steve and throwing him across the street and through a plate glass window.  Then Loki teleported, leaving Clint’s arrows and Natasha’s bullets to pass harmlessly through the air where he had just been. 

“Thor, who the fuck is your bag-of-cats brother talking about?!” yelled Clint through the comms.  The Hulk made a grab for Loki when the mage reappeared, but bellowed in frustration when Loki easily avoided him and then blasted the Hulk a full city block down the street.       

“I know not, Eye of the Hawk,” Thor replied, catching Mjolnir from an unsuccessful attempt to strike Loki.  “That is not a name I have heard in any realm.”

“You fools!” Loki screamed in enraged fury, “how can you not know the clever trickster who was so close to succeeding where I had failed!  I have followed his tales of battle and glory on the wondrous archive that houses such stories!  He was close to capture when last he reported his progress, and no one has heard from him since!  Free him, or you will perish!”

“Hey, Reindeer Games,” Tony called, almost hoping the idea slowly forming in his mind was incorrect, “you do know you can’t believe everything you read on the internet, right?”

“Oh, God,” Tony heard Steve mutter as he climbed out of the shattered window.  Thor shuffled his feet nearby.  Both of their faces were a bright shade of red.  This was a very familiar discussion to Tony by now.

“Do you call the bards of your people liars, Man of Iron?” Loki growled, preparing for another strike.

“Nay, Brother.  The Man of Iron does not attempt to deceive you,” Thor said with a grimace, “The bards of this realm are not always … beholden to the truth.”

Loki narrowed his eyes.  “And yet the Winter Soldier knew of your preference for forgoing showers and bedding fine ladies who are more adept in the scholastic arts than yourself.  He is no mere braggart.”

Everyone turned to Thor, who cleared his throat and turned even redder.

“Right,” Tony said after an awkward moment.  “Well, be that as it may, we are not holding anyone at the moment, allies of yours or not.  Do you think we could leave off the bloodshed for another day?”

Loki looked confused and disappointed for a moment, before his eyes grew wide and a dangerous smile crossed his features.  “Ah, I understand.  He is a shrewd opponent who seeks the council of his advisors.  When you meet the Winter Soldier, his plan will be beyond compare.  I will see to it.”  He disappeared in a flash of green, leaving the Avengers alone on a rubble strewn road, sirens fast approaching.

“Well, that’s not ominous at all,” Tony said with a sigh.

 

~.~.~.

 

Bucky blinked as he read a comment on his last chapter from someone called Green_Mage_With_Envy:

_I must commend you on your near flawless scheme.  If I may offer a few humble words of guidance, however, I believe no force on any realm will stop you._

What followed was a number of rather clever ideas he could easily incorporate into later chapters.  Bucky shrugged, thanked the reader for commenting and for the suggestions, and opened his Word document.


	3. The Wisdom of Ponies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [dls](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/dls/pseuds/dls) for both cheerleading and betaing this chapter!

Bucky smiled gently as he sat on the floor across from his five-year-old niece.  Annabeth was such a serious little thing, carefully moving her toy ponies around and directing Bucky to do the same as she wove an elaborate story Bucky had lost the plot of some time ago.  He wasn’t sure where she had gotten her temperament from; his sister Becca and her best friend, now husband, David had both been little hellions growing up, loud and unruly and creating absolute chaos wherever they went.  Annabeth’s little brother was shaping up to be the same. Annabeth, though, was far more reserved, watching the world around her with thoughtful green eyes.  An old soul, Bucky’s father had called her.  Bucky was inclined to agree. 

“Uncle Bucky!” Annabeth said urgently, bringing his focus back to the drama being played out by the plastic figures before them.  “The bridge is falling!  Whinny needs to save Ruby and Sunshine!”

Called to action, Bucky obediently flew the black pony he was holding to the ‘bridge’, a picture book suspended between the couch and coffee table with a red and a yellow pony perched on top.  Ruby and Sunshine, trapped and fearing they would soon perish, were saved at the last possible moment by the daring Whinny as the bridge collapsed with dramatic sound effects.  Ruby and Sunshine thanked Whinny for her help, praised her for her bravery, and then continued on their quest.

Listening for his next cue, Bucky studied the toy in his hand.  Unlike most of Annabeth’s toys, ‘Whinny’ showed signs of a rough life, toothmarks in the plastic and mismatched wings evidence of an ill-fated run-in with the neighbor’s dachshund.  Before his last deployment, it had been Bucky, weak against his niece’s tears, who had carefully replaced the missing wing with one made out of aluminum foil and cardstock.  He’d told Annabeth that Whinny had been hurt protecting the other ponies and may not look quite the same, but she was the same brave pony inside and she knew Annabeth still loved her no matter what.  Six months later it had been Annabeth saying those same words back to him after his own ill-fated mission as she carefully set Whinny next to him on the hospital bed.

Annabeth’s extravagant tale soon came to a close, more than a dozen toy ponies celebrating Ruby and Sunshine’s triumphant return.  To Annabeth’s delight, Bucky placed Whinny in the middle of the crowd and made the pony congratulate the heroes with the high-pitched, perky voice that always made his niece giggle when it came from Bucky.  Becca, drawn to the sound of her oldest’s laughter and Bucky’s chuckles, appeared in the doorway.

“I take it Pony Paddock is saved again?”  Becca asked, grinning.  Charlie, still waking up from a nap, watched them quietly from his mother’s arms, head on her shoulder.  From experience, Bucky knew that the quiet wouldn’t last for long.

Annabeth bounced in excitement.  “Yes, Momma!  Ruby and Sunshine had to stop the Snow Queen from freezing their home!  It was very dangerous, but they were very brave even when they were scared, and their friends helped.”

“Well, I’m very proud of them.  Five more minutes, okay?  Then you can tell me and your dad all about it during dinner.”  Annabeth nodded agreeably and began carefully putting her ponies away in a large plastic bin.  Becca smiled, mouthed ‘Thank you’ to Bucky, then left to rejoin David in the kitchen.

Bucky moved closer so he could help Annabeth straighten up, pausing when he picked up Whinny to run a gentle thumb over the metal wing before putting the toy away.

“It was a very good story, Sweety,” Bucky said when the floor was once again clear of ponies.  He stood and offered his hand to Annabeth.  “How did Ruby and Sunshine know the Snow Queen wasn’t making their home cold on purpose?  That she wasn’t just being mean?”

Annabeth took his hand and pulled herself up.  “Ms. Alvarez says sometime people do things that look mean, but they just made a mistake.  Like when Laila thought I took the building blocks she was playing with on purpose.  She left them on the floor when she had to go to the bathroom, but I thought she was done playing with them.  She was really sad when she came back and saw I had them.  She started crying.  I didn’t mean to make her cry,” Annabeth said, looking close to tears herself.

“I know you didn’t,” Bucky said, smoothing a hand over her hair.  “Was Ms. Alvarez able to sort things out?”

Annabeth nodded quickly, eyes wide with hero-worship.  “Yes!  Ms. Alvarez is very smart.  I thought Laila would be mad at me forever, but Ms. Alvarez had us sit on the floor with her and take ten _deep_ breaths,” she said, demonstrating for Bucky by taking a huge breath and letting it out.  “She had each of us tell her what happened.  Then I told Laila I was sorry for taking her blocks by mistake, Laila said she forgave me, and we made a castle together!” Annabeth finished, beaming.

“That Ms. Alvarez is a smart one,” Bucky agreed, leaning down to give his niece a quick hug.  “I’m glad everything worked out.”

“Me too!  I like Laila.”  Annabeth took Bucky’s hand again when they heard Becca call out that dinner was ready and walked with him to the kitchen.

Later, strolling back to his own apartment, pleasantly full of some fantastic lasagna, he idly thought about his conversation with Annabeth and his own story waiting to be updated.  He’d planned to leave the Avengers in the dark about the Winter Soldier’s motivations, give him the chance to do the traditional supervillain monologue and everything, let them assume he was evil until the very end.  Now he wondered if that was selling the Avengers short.  Surely at least one of them would get curious as to why a supervillain never did anything actually villainous or endangered anyone, only tried to use non-lethal means to incapacitate and capture the Avengers.     

Maybe there could be someone who understood the Winter Soldier and was able to turn him from his villainous ways, Bucky thought wistfully, and together they could convince the world to build the Avengers into something better.  Something that really could protect everyone. 

Bucky rolled his eyes at himself.  Mister_Neverdie would justifiably ridicule him mercilessly for using such a corny cliché as ‘love redeems’.  Besides, Bucky thought a little bitterly, everyone seemed to think the Avengers are more than enough, especially the Avengers themselves.

Still, it might make a nice aside in the story for the Winter Soldier to _wish_ there was someone who would listen.

_The Winter Soldier, tired from another confrontation with the Avengers, stared at the board before him.  Pictures of his six adversaries, along with their names and what little information he had been able to glean about them, stared back.  If only, the Soldier thought, if only._

 

~.~.~.

 

Tony sat back in his chair, hands shaking.  After the run-in with Loki, Tony had said he would look into the ‘Winter Soldier’ and had been both amused and unsurprised when a fanfiction site had come up.  Knowing SHIELD like he did, he had added a few discreet protections to the site’s servers and user data, notified the team that nothing nefarious was afoot, and pulled up the first chapter in the hopes of finding blackmail material against the other Avengers. 

What he had not expected was to find his own fears of another alien invasion, his own struggle to make others believe _and act_ , echoed by some random writer.  He almost wished there was a Winter Soldier, someone else who didn’t believe the world should sit complacently by, who wasn’t confident that because they had won once, they would win again.

Well, he thought, an idea forming.  Well.  There may not be a Winter Soldier, but there obviously was _someone_ out there.  It couldn’t hurt to give them a little hint, now could it?

 

~.~.~.

 

_Anonymous on Chapter 10_

_Iron Man saw what was on the other side of the portal, didn’t he?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some feels and angst found their way into this story somehow. Next chapter should return to the regularly scheduled crack.


	4. Darcy Knows How This Goes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [dls](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/dls/pseuds/dls) for both cheerleading and betaing this chapter!

Bucky cursed when he heard the knock on his apartment door.  He’d only just returned from physical therapy, sore and exhausted, and hadn’t planned to move from where he’d collapsed on the couch for at least another twenty minutes.  The knocking came again, a little louder this time, and Bucky sighed, resigned to his fate of having to answer the door.  Getting up with a groan, he frowned when he looked through the peephole to find Darcy on the other side, looking a little worn around the edges.  That … was weird.  They had started talking more regularly since they exchanged phone numbers, and had even hung out a couple of times, but it was unlike Darcy to just show up unannounced.

“Darcy!  Is everything alright?” he asked, concerned, when he opened the door.

Darcy huffed and crossed her arms.  “No.  No, everything is not alright.  Jane is miserable because her boyfriend had to leave on short notice, _again,_ and Erik is convinced there are gremlins in the centrifuge.  He’s taken it apart twice now, and I’m afraid the next time someone tries to use it for actual scientific purposes it’s going to explode.  Neither of them has left the lab in five days. I am exhausted, I have a term paper due next Friday I haven’t started yet, and finals the week after that.  I am staging an intervention, and _you_ ,” she said, pointing at Bucky threateningly, “are going to help me.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows at the outburst and put his hand up in surrender.  Normally he might have protested, but Darcy really did look a little wild-eyed and at the end of her rope.  It was a feeling Bucky was intimately familiar with.  “Alright, Lieutenant Lewis.  Is there time for me to shower and change before the mission?”  He opened the door wider and stepped back to allow Darcy inside.

Some of the tension in Darcy’s shoulders relaxed and she flashed him a relieved grin as she followed him.  “Yes, Sergeant Barnes, that’s fine,” she said, looking around the apartment in interest.  “I found the latest paper by Jane and Erik’s academic archrival Richards and gave each of them a copy.  They can’t stand that guy, especially when he’s right.  Arguing about that will keep them occupied and out of trouble for a bit.” 

She dropped onto his couch and leaned back, a spark of mischief in her eyes.  “And don’t think the intervention is just for them, either, Buckaroo.  I noticed your Winter Soldier and Iron Man getting pretty hot and heavy last chapter.  I think Jane isn’t the only one mooning over a crush.  Yours just happens to be dressed like a robot.”

“They were _bantering_ ,” Bucky muttered, blushing, heading to his bedroom to get ready.  “The Winter Soldier had disabled the armor and Iron Man was trying to buy time for the other Avengers to arrive.  And I don’t have a crush on Iron Man.”

“Yeah, well, if you’re not careful your readers are going to expect them to _banter_ themselves right into the bedroom!” Darcy called after him.  “And you so have a crush on Iron Man.  Don’t lie.  I’ve seen the wallpaper on your phone!”  Bucky shut the bathroom door on whatever else Darcy might have added.

By the time he was clean and dressed, Darcy was passed out on the couch, snoring.  He almost just let her sleep, but Darcy had told him enough stories about what the scientists she interned for got up to when they’d been in the lab too long.  It was safer for everyone if they headed that off at the pass.  Bucky shook her gently and after a few confused minutes Darcy woke up enough to remember her self-imposed assignment.

“Right,” she said with a large yawn, rubbing her eyes as she led the way out the apartment door.  “Time to save the physics department from an unintentionally created wormhole or something.  Onwards!” 

Bucky gamely followed Darcy down the hallway and into the stairwell.  They had just entered the foyer of the apartment building when Steve from across the hall walked in from the street.  He was carrying a portfolio bag that bulged oddly with whatever it held, art supplies Bucky assumed, and came to an abrupt halt when he saw the two of them together. 

“Darcy?  I didn’t know you knew Bucky.  Does he, uh, ...,” Steve said, trailing off awkwardly. 

Darcy rolled her eyes.  “Does Bucky know _Donald Blake_ , Jane’s boyfriend, who is flying to _Norway_ as we speak?  No, he does not.  But he has kindly offered to help me pry Jane and Erik from their science and into the sun.”   

Steve looked oddly relieved at Darcy’s pronouncement.  “Oh, okay.  That was nice of him.  Do you … need any help?”

Darcy shook her head, patting one of Steve’s well-muscled arms.  “Thanks, but no thanks.  The fewer reminders Jane has of _Donald’s_ day job, the better right now.”  Steve nodded as if that made perfect sense to him, but Bucky felt he was missing whole layers of this conversation.

“Well, it was good to see you Darcy, Bucky.”  Steve smiled politely and continued into the building. 

Bucky turned to Darcy, hoping for some kind of explanation, but she just rolled her eyes again.  “Trust me.  You think you want to know, but you really don’t.”  With that, she walked out of the building, leaving Bucky to catch up.

When they reached the university and the lab Darcy’s friends shared, Darcy positioned him just inside the doorway and told him to stay put.

“I’ll bring Erik over first.  All you have to do is make sure his pants stay on and you keep him away from the whiteboards or the equipment.  If he looks like he’s about to wander off, ask him about dark matter.  He has opinions.” 

A few minutes later Darcy returned with an older gentleman in tow, a gentle but firm hand on the man’s elbow.  “Erik, this is Bucky.  He’s going to go to lunch with us.  He wants to know how stars form.  Why don’t you tell him while I try to extricate Jane.”  The man, Erik, looked delighted and began a detailed description of collapsing interstellar gas while Darcy delved back into the sea of computers and other electronics.  Most of what Erik said went right over Bucky’s head, but he understood enough and Erik was so enthusiastic about the subject that it turned out to be a rather enjoyable conversation.

A few minutes later Darcy returned, this time holding a laptop in one arm and being pursued by another woman in a white lab coat.  “Darcy?  Darcy!  Where are you going with my computer?  I was working!  My notes are on that!”

Darcy stopped by the door and turned back, careful to keep her body between the laptop and the woman Bucky assumed was Jane.  “I will give this back to you if you can tell me a single meal you’ve had that hasn’t come from the vending machine down the hall in the last two days.”  Jane opened her mouth to answer, paused, then snapped her mouth shut, looking faintly guilty.  Darcy just nodded and stuffed the laptop in a travel bag, zipping it up and pulling the strap over her shoulder, before addressing Jane again.

“Jane, I know you’re upset and work is your way of dealing.  I know you’ve probably discovered something new that will send all your astrophysicist friends in a tizzy once you come up for air and publish the three new papers you’ve written …” Jane abashedly holds up four fingers and Darcy corrects herself with a raised eyebrow, “Okay, the _four_ new papers you’ve written that will probably get you invited to give yet another TED talk.  But enough is enough.  We’re going to lunch, then you and Erik are going home until Monday at which time I will return your laptop to you.  Don’t worry, I backed up all your files before I grabbed it.”   

Jane bit her lip, looking longingly back into her lab space, before she sighed and took off her lab coat.  “Alright,” she said reluctantly before brightening, “Besides, Erik and I did just find that Richards made an invalid assumption in his latest theory on the possibility of interdimensional travel.  There’s a fifth paper we’ll get to publish _and_ we’ll get to annoy Richards.”  Jane finally noticed Bucky and looked back at Darcy uncertainly.

Darcy smiled brightly.  “This,” she said, waving an arm in his direction proudly, “is my friend Bucky Barnes.  He needed time away from his computer as well and he is associated with neither the University nor your boyfriend _Donald’s_ work, so you can bitch and complain to your heart’s content without worrying it will get back to anyone.  He also hated the ending of _How I Met Your Mother_.” 

Erik and Jane nodded sagely, both of them commiserating about the unfulfilling finale and easily drawing Bucky into the discussion as they left the now empty lab behind, Darcy following smugly.

 

~.~.~.

 

_Captain America raced after the Winter Soldier, leaping from rooftop to rooftop.  The Avengers usually only caught sight of the villain when it was too late.  This time, though, the Soldier had made a mistake, had allowed himself to be seen before he could strike, and the Captain had given chase.  Eventually he cornered the Soldier, the villain skidding to a halt on the opposite side of the rooftop when he realized there were no buildings close enough for him to jump to._

_The Captain threw his shield at the Soldier, hoping to end his reign of terror against the Avengers once and for all, but to the Captain’s amazement the Soldier caught his shield with his metal hand with a loud clang.  He prepared to dodge the villain’s attempt to use the shield against him, but the Winter Soldier simply tossed the shield over the edge of the building, then followed after._

_Rushing to edge of the roof, expecting to see the body of the villain sprawled on the ground below, the Captain instead saw a metal fire escape and an open window into the building.  He tried to follow, but the fire alarm sounded and the hallways quickly filled with confused tenants.  Captain America soon had to concede that he had lost the Winter Soldier … and his shield._

 

~.~.~.

 

“Hey, Cap?  I think I can design a device that will call back your shield to you if you ever lose it.  And maybe install a tracker.  You know, just in case.”


	5. Bucky Strikes Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [dls](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/dls/pseuds/dls) for both cheerleading and betaing this chapter!
> 
> There will be no A:IW spoilers in this fic, by the way.

Bucky leaned against the railing of the balcony overlooking one of the large exhibit halls in the Philadelphia Convention Center.  Stretched out below him was nearly 200 thousand square feet of floor space packed with physics conference attendees as they milled about the poster session displays.  With the keen eyesight that had served him well as a sniper, Bucky easily picked out Jane as she moved from poster to poster, the scientists and graduate students manning the posters wide-eyed and starstruck to be talking to _the_ Jane Foster.  It was never not amusing to see them eagerly explain their research and then hold their breath in anticipation, waiting for some sign of approval or disagreement as Jane carefully considered their poster. 

Erik was a few rows away from Jane and holding an animated discussion with an older woman, both of them gesticulating wildly and pointing emphatically to various points on the woman’s poster.  Bucky might have been worried, but Darcy was nearby and seemed unconcerned, merely typing on her phone while keeping a weather eye on the argument both participants seemed to be enjoying.

He couldn’t help but grin at watching his friends in their element.  Since being commandeered by Darcy, Bucky had found himself spending more and more time in Jane and Erik’s lab.  At first it was just to drop in say hello, but soon he found himself conscripted into monitoring equipment as it ran, organizing notes, and generally being useful.  He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed just being around people.  Most of his close friends were either out of state, busy with their own lives, or still in the army.  It was nice having people outside his family to hang out with again.

The trip to Philadelphia and Bucky’s registration for the physics conference, in fact, had been a belated birthday gift from Darcy, Jane, and Erik.  He hadn’t been sure how well he’d fit in with the other attendees, afraid he’d stick out and somehow embarrass his friends, but so far that hadn’t been a problem.  Actually, most of the people he spoke with, graduate students especially, were so pleased to have someone stand still long enough to hear all the ins and outs of their research that they were more than happy to explain things in simpler terms.  It was turning out to be a great birthday present.

They had even somehow scored tickets to the public talk this evening being given by _Tony Stark_.  He’d been so excited when he found out that Darcy was still teasing him about cheating on Iron Man with Iron Man’s employer.  It was just, _Tony Stark_.  Iron Man was a hero, no doubt about that, but _Tony Stark_ made Iron Man possible.  Besides, it wasn’t like his one impossible crush who had no idea he existed would mind all that much about a second one.

He reached into his pocket when he felt his phone buzz.

_Darcy:  what r u doing lurking like the phantom of the opera?  how did u get up there anyway?_

_Me:  needed some air.  one of the organizers let me in._

_Darcy:  u ok?  got someone for u to meet, but it can wait.  need me to corral the other two and meet u up there?_

Bucky looked up to check on Jane and Erik, but Jane was still happily perusing posters and Erik and his companion had turned her poster around and were busy writing complex equations all over the back, still arguing merrily.  They had gathered an audience.

               _Me:  naw, they’re having fun.  crowds just got to be a bit much.  i’ll be down in a minute._

_Darcy:  if ur sure.  txt if u need anything._

Bucky sent her a thumbs-up emoji and put his phone away.  A few minutes later he felt more settled and was considering returning to the exhibit hall floor when he noticed a sharply dressed man slip into the hall from one of the less used side entrances.  Curious, Bucky leaned forward to get a better look, heart skipping a beat when he recognized who the newcomer was. 

Holy shit, that was _Tony Stark_. 

Stark walked nonchalantly through the exhibits, hands in his suit pockets and demeanor relaxed, but the effect he had on the attendees was electric as people began to surreptitiously hold up their cellphones and mutter excitedly to one another.  Unconcerned by the stir he was creating, Stark made his way deeper into the hall and Bucky nearly choked when the other man came to a stop next to Darcy who was still absorbed in her phone. 

Bucky yanked his own phone out of his pocket and hastily typed out a text with far too many exclamation points.  He saw Darcy frown, then finally look up to notice Stark was standing next to her and a good portion of the people in the exhibit hall staring in awe.  Bucky wasn’t sure what he expected to happen, but it definitely wasn’t for Darcy to give Stark a patently unimpressed look, sock him in the arm, and say something to him that had Stark throwing his head back and laughing.  Darcy then leaned in for a hug from _Tony Stark_ , and Bucky nearly had a heart attack.

Holy shit, Darcy knew _Tony Stark_.

Holy shit, he thought with dawning horror, Darcy knew Bucky wrote _fanfiction about Iron Man_ and she knew _Tony Stark_.  Crap, no wonder she gave him so much shit.

He saw Darcy point Stark towards Erik, who gave them a friendly wave before returning to the impromptu whiteboard where they had progressed from equations to diagrams with various arrows and squiggly lines, and then towards Jane, who was still oblivious to the commotion caused by Stark’s arrival.  He then saw Darcy begin to point to Bucky’s position on the balcony and Bucky immediately ducked behind the balcony railing before he could think better of it. 

Oh God, he thought miserably, hand covering his face in embarrassment.  Darcy would never let him live this down.  He thought about ignoring his phone when it buzzed, but that would only prolong the inevitable.

               _Darcy:  wow, opera ghost.  u move fast when u want to_

_Me:  I hate you so much right now_

_Darcy:  tony didn’t see u duck for cover.  come say hi._

_Me:  I am not dressed to meet TONY STARK_

_Darcy:  seriously, he won’t care.  come down._

Bucky sighed and eyed the distance to the stairwell.  If he stayed low he could probably reach it without being seen by anyone in the exhibit hall.  Then he could go downstairs and enter the hall like a normal person who hadn’t panicked over being seen by _Tony Stark_. 

Before he could make his move, however, he heard a weird high-pitched whine followed by a crash and several screams coming from the floor below.  Bucky carefully peaked over the railing and saw dozens of people covered in yellow suits and helmets rushing into the exhibit hall.  All of them were holding strange looking weapons and brandishing them threateningly at the conference attendees.

One of the yellow suited figures, this one in a slightly more elaborate suit and helmet who Bucky assumed was the leader, was lowering his weapon from where he had obviously just blown a hole in the conference center ceiling.  He adjusted something on the gun, then stepped forward.

“Everyone!” came the electronically amplified voice of the masked leader.  “Down on the floor!  My associates and I do not want to harm you, but we will do what is necessary to ensure our success!  Some of you have been chosen to join our glorious cause.  Come peacefully, and no dire consequences will befall you!”

The frightened scientists quickly lowered themselves to the ground while the intruders began to roam the exhibit hall in pairs, some using zip ties to secure attendees hands and feet and leaving them helpless on the floor, others clearly searching for particular individuals.  Bucky felt a rush a gratitude when he saw Tony Stark crouched over Darcy, Erik, and the woman Erik had been debating with, obviously doing his best to keep them shielded.  Some distance away Bucky saw Jane huddled together with a group of younger students, whispering to them to try to keep her fearful companions calm.

Bucky clenched his fist when he saw a pair of yellow suited figures approach Jane and her group.  He couldn’t hear what was being said, but he could see one of the figures point their weapon at the students while the other grabbed Jane by the arm and pulled her away.  Darcy screamed, scrambling to her feet at the sight of Jane being dragged out one of the doors, uncaring of the weapons pointed in her direction.  In desperation Stark caught her in a bear hug and swung her around just as the weapons fired.  He crumpled to the ground with an agonized yell as the energy bolts struck him instead of their intended target. 

Several people screamed and Darcy, horrified, quickly laid two fingers on Stark’s neck.  Her features filled with relief just before she was roughly shoved aside.  An intruder picked Stark up in a fireman’s carry, joining several others as they forcefully lead a handful of scientists out the same door Bucky had seen them take Jane out of.

Unsure what he could do but unwilling to stand idly by, Bucky made his way to the stairwell, careful to remain hidden from anyone on the main floor.  He pushed the crash bar on the stairwell door as silently as possible and opened it just a crack, grateful for his caution when he saw one of the yellow suited figures only a few feet away from him on the other.  Bucky listened carefully to make sure that this was the only intruder nearby.  Once he was certain, he waited until the figure was facing away from him then slipped inside the stairwell and grabbed the figure from behind.  Bucky slammed the intruder against the concrete wall one, two, three times before satisfied the person inside the suit was unconscious. 

Bucky quickly stripped the intruder of their suit and helmet, revealing a Caucasian man in his early twenties, and donning the suit and helmet himself, along with the intruder’s earpiece.  Fortunately, the fabric of the suit was fairly stiff so Bucky’s missing arm wasn’t all that noticeable at first glance.  There were also zip ties in one of the suit pockets.  He secured the man’s hands and feet, but without anywhere else to put him Bucky had to simply leave the man in a corner of the balcony and hope for the best.

He picked up the weapon next, hastily finding the dial on the side with the labels ‘stun,’ ‘kill,’ and ‘disintegrate.’  These guys have been watching way too much Star Trek, Bucky thought incredulously, confirming the dial was set to ‘stun.’

That done, he took a moment to listen to the enemy chatter through the earpiece, trying to determine their plan.  He became increasingly concerned when he heard ‘package delivered,’ ‘below the hostages,’ ‘blast radius,’ ‘begin evacuation,’ and ‘escape through the chaos.’ 

Bucky cursed, looking carefully into the exhibit hall from the balcony and seeing yellow suited figures streaming out of room leaving most of the attendees secured with zip ties and unable to escape.  He was running out of time.  Quickly, Bucky descended the stairwell to the basement and again carefully inched the door open.  Down the hallway he could see two yellow suited figures standing guard in front of set of double doors.  He carefully shut the door and stood back a step, taking a few deep breaths, then opening the stairwell door with authority and walked confidently down the hall.  When he reached the guards he simply nodded, amazed and relieved when they only nodded back, and walked through the double doors. 

Inside were three yellow suited figures packing up equipment and a frighteningly large explosive device in the center of the room.  A digital timer was counting down and had just passed the twenty-minute mark.  Bucky felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and without pausing he stunned the three figures with his weapon, turning around and doing the same to the guards when they opened the doors to investigate.  He pulled them the guards into the room, used his remaining zip ties on the intruders he had stunned, and found a metal pipe that allowed him to secure the double doors.

Now it was just him and the bomb.  Shit.

Bucky threw off the helmet, suit, and earpiece and dug out his phone, took a picture of the menacing device, and texted it to the one person he could think who could help him and hoped the other man was stateside.

A few long minutes passed before the phone began to ring.

“The fuck did you just send me, Barnes?” came an incredulous voice a moment later.  Bucky cringed when he heard a woman’s and children’s voices in the background.

“William, I’m sorry to bother you on leave but I really need your help,” Bucky said, relief filling him, before jumping into the world’s fastest rundown of the last few minutes. 

“I don’t know where Stark’s bodyguard is,” Bucky said, finishing his rushed recitation, “but Stark was incapacitated and he and Jane and a few other scientists are being kidnapped and they’re going to use that bomb to escape and it’s going to kill a lot of people.”

There was silence on the other end and then some blisteringly colorful language.

Bucky heard the woman’s voice ask, “Clint, what’s wrong?” and William saying something about contacting the team before the line was muffled.  Less than a minute later William was back.

“I thought your name was William?” Bucky asked, momentarily thrown.

“I … go by my middle name at home.  Alright, back-up is on its way, but you need to disarm that device immediately.  Send me pictures of everything and I’ll walk you through it.”  What followed were ten of the longest minutes of Bucky’s life, made all the more difficult because Bucky had only one hand to work with.  Eventually, though, the countdown clock stopped at 4:35, flashed three times, and the entire device powered down.  Bucky breathed out shakily and reported the good news back to William.

“Fan-fucking-tastic.  Now that’s just a very ugly paperweight.  If you can, get back to the hostages, release as many as possible, and get them away from the doors and windows.  Without the bomb to cover their escape the yellow morons and the people they kidnapped should be easy to track.”  With that William hung up.

Bucky took a moment to just breathe, then stood and searched the equipment and the intruders’ yellow suits for anything that could cut zip ties.  One of the intruders finally began to stir and turned their yellow helmet in Bucky’s direction. 

“Who are you?” the figure asked, struggling weakly with the zip ties binding them.  “Who do you work for?”

“No one,” Bucky said, stuffing his pockets with the items he’d found and again putting on the discarded earpiece.  He could hear the leader’s demands to know whether the ‘distraction’ was prepared suddenly becoming an order to retreat.  Apparently, the Avengers had been spotted.

“You must work for someone,” the figure insisted.

Bucky rolled his eyes and said, “The Winter Soldier,” before removing the metal pipe and walking out the doors. 

Later, when everyone was freed, Jane was being smothered by a concerned Darcy and Erik, and Bucky was watching a loudly complaining Tony Stark be marched to an EMT by a concerned and determined Captain America, Bucky would be so relieved that everyone was fine that he wouldn’t think twice about what he’d said.

 

~.~.~.

 

One yellow suited figure turned to another and whispered, “Oh, shit, he _is_ real.  We are so fucked.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! For those who are curious, Bucky knows Clint as 'William James', a bomb disposal expert and the main character in the Hurt Locker, who is also played by Jeremy Renner. For the purpose of this fic, 'William James' is one of Clint's aliases.


	6. Looking for Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [dls](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/dls/pseuds/dls) for both cheerleading and betaing this chapter!

“Are you telling me,” Nick Fury growled, “that these yellow bucket wearing AIM bastards are refusing to give a description of this person because they are more afraid of some imaginary _Winter Soldier_ than they are of _us_!?”

Phil Coulson cleared his throat and concentrated on straightening the files in front of him.  “Fear does seem to play a role, yes.  However, there also seems to be a level of professional admiration.  ‘We were bested by a superior intellect’ as one of them put it.”

Fury’s eye narrowed.  “I want this person found, Coulson.  I don’t care how many booby traps Stark puts on that webpage or what Barton claims about ‘anonymous’ tips.  Get it done.”

 

~.~.~.

 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember hiring you,” came an amused voice, breaking the otherwise quiet hum of the lab of Jane and Erik’s lab.

Bucky jerked in surprise at the unexpected noise, crumpling the journal article he had been trying to read and knocking the stack of additional articles Erik had lent him onto the floor.  He looked up to see an older gentleman holding a manila folder and standing in the doorway.

“Oh, dear.  I’m terribly sorry,” the gentleman said, hurrying through the cluttered lab space to help Bucky gather the scattered papers.   Once they were sorted into a neat stack on the corner of a desk, the gentleman waved Bucky back into his chair and pulled another closer for himself.

“Like I was saying,” he continued affably after taking his seat, setting his folder aside and regarding Bucky curiously.  “I’ve been hearing quite a few things about Dr. Foster’s new assistant, very complimentary.  Polite, competent, hardworking.  All good things to hear about a new hire.  Except for the fact that I don’t actually remember hiring you.  So, tell me, have I finally started going senile in my advancing years?”

“Oh, uh, no, Sir,” Bucky stammered, caught off guard, wishing someone else was around and hoping he wasn’t about to get Jane and the others into trouble.  “I just … help out sometimes.  Are you looking for Jane or Erik?  They should be back any minute now.”

“No, no.  I was just popping my head in, being nosy.  Well, it is a comfort to know I’m not ready to be put out to pasture quite yet,” the gentleman said with an exaggerated sigh of relief before pointing to the crumpled journal article.  “May I?”

“Of course,” Bucky said quickly, handing the item over.  He started to apologize for the state of the journal, but the other man waved him off as he set it on the desk and smoothed out the pages.

“Hmm.  _Remarkable Gravitational Lensing by the Galaxy Cluster Abell 3827_.  That’s a weighty topic for someone who is ‘just helping’,” the gentleman said as he looked back at Bucky.

“Erik was telling me about space-time and how something with a lot of mass can bend it so much that light can’t travel in a straight line,” Bucky said with a shrug, his face heating in embarrassment.  “I didn’t understand a lot of what he said, but it sounded interesting and he had these lying around.”

At that, the gentleman grinned slightly.  “There is no shame in finding the subject challenging.  General relativity confounds even the brightest minds, and both Dr. Selvig and Dr. Foster are accomplished experts in the field.”  He gave Bucky an assessing look before adding, “Of course, their field of study is not the only thing many of their colleagues find challenging about them.”

Bucky frowned at the implication, no matter how gently put, that his friends were _difficult_.  They may not be the most self-aware people when it came to social interactions, and Erik certainly had more than a handful of unusual quirks, but they both were undeniably brilliant, passionate, and kind.  Although he refrained from commenting, Bucky’s opinion on the matter must have been clear because the gentleman smiled wider and nodded in approval before leaning forward.

“Perhaps before we go further, I should introduce myself.  Dr. Marcus Long, Head of the Physics Department here at Culver University,” he said, extending his arm out. 

Bemused, Bucky shook the offered hand.  “James Barnes.”

“Oh, of that I am well aware,” Dr. Long laughed.  “Dr. Foster, Dr. Selvig, and Ms. Lewis all speak very highly of you.  They have been lobbying on your behalf, but I wanted to meet you myself before agreeing to their proposal.”

“Proposal?” Bucky repeated, feeling as if this conversation had long since gotten away from him.

“Yes.  Now, you are aware that Ms. Lewis will graduate with her Master’s in a few short months, correct?  It would certainly be convenient if we had someone already lined up to take over her duties in assisting Drs. Foster and Selvig at that time.”  He tapped a finger on the crumpled journal.  “Maybe someone who was interested in a degree in science or engineering?”

“You’re … are you offering me a job?”  Bucky asked, stunned.

Dr. Long waved his hand in a seesaw gesture.  “An opportunity to apply for an internship while you earn a degree.  As I said, you come with glowing reviews.  It would be a shame to lose a capable assistant just because you were never given a chance.” 

Bucky could only stare, dumbfounded.  Seeing Bucky’s confusion, Dr. Long’s joking manner faded away and his expression grew serious.

“Mr. Barnes, Dr. Foster and Dr. Selvig are fine researchers, and Ms. Lewis has excelled in her role as their assistant even without a science background, but the incident in Philadelphia was not as isolated as I might wish.  I do not know all the details, and those I do know I cannot share, but chaos has followed them for some time now.  It would ease my conscience to offer this position to someone with your background and experience rather than to just any student who might apply.”

Considering how Darcy and Bucky had met, that made a worrying amount of sense.  And it wasn’t as if Bucky had made any solid plans going forward.  He still had some savings, but he would need to make start making decisions soon.  What’s more, spending so much time with Darcy and the others had already had him toying with the idea of applying for his GI benefits and going back to school.  He had been expecting to attend a community college, though, at least to start with.  Culver hadn’t even seemed like a possibility.

“Could I have time to think about it?” Bucky finally asked.

Dr. Long nodded.  “Of course, of course.”  He stood, Bucky following suit, and handed him the manila folder Bucky had noticed earlier.  “That contains information on the position, as well as the phone numbers of both Culver University’s Admissions Counselors Office and Veterans Administrator.  Why don’t you talk to them and let me know what you decide?”

“Yes, thank you,” Bucky said, quickly setting the folder down so he could shake the other man’s hand again.

Two weeks later Bucky found himself filling out an application to Culver University.

 

~.~.~.

 

_Culver University Application Supplementary Essay Questions (maximum of 600 words each):_

  1. _Which Muppet do you admire most and why?_
  2. _You are invited to join Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne as part of Mystery Incorporated to investigate claims that the old mansion on the outskirts of town is haunted. Describe how you imagine the investigation would go._
  3. _If you could have lunch with any fictional character, who would it be? Where would you go?  What would you talk about?  Who would pick up the bill?_



 

~.~.~.

 

_Wind whipping through his hair, the Winter Soldier brooded as he stared out onto the city from atop one of its many looming buildings._

_“I alone am not enough,” he whispered finally._

_The conclusion was obvious now in hindsight.  Just as he believed the Avengers as they currently stood were not enough the ensure Earth’s survival against an inhospitable universe, so he must finally admit that he could not accomplish his own goal to prove the Avengers insufficient by himself._

_Oh, he had secured small victories.  The Captain’s shield still remained hidden and the Soldier had succeeded in incapacitating most of the Avengers individually for short periods of time.  Yet still no new members were added to their ranks.  Alone he was simply not the threat he needed to be._

_But maybe there was still a way.  Perhaps it was time to recruit._

 

_ Notes:                                                                _

_Hello, readers!  TednTracy_forever here.  Thank you for sticking with me this long!  For those interested, here is what I imagine the Winter Soldier’s recruitment blog post on evil-blog-of-evil-intentions.org would look like:_

_Are you interested in taking down the Avengers with a group of like-minded individuals?  Nonlethally?  Then respond to this post with answers to the following questions:_

  1. _Villain Name (Ex. The Winter Soldier)_
  2. _Competencies (Superpower, Advanced Combat Skills, Computer Proficiency, etc.)_
  3. _Please state your reasons for wanting to take down the Avengers._
  4. _Are you prepared to **not** end a life in pursuit of your goals? This is a zero-casualty endeavor._
  5. _You are stranded on a deserted island with only a pool noodle, a paperclip, and a bag of blue marbles. What are the first three things you would do?_
  6. _What else should I know about you to help me make a decision?_



_Applications will be evaluated in the order they are received.  Thank you for your interest._

_If you would like to become a minion to the Winter Soldier, come over to my blog and apply!_

 

~.~.~.

 

“So now this … this Winter Soldier is _recruiting_?”

Despite a strong desire to grind his teeth in frustration, Nick Fury was careful keep his face impassive as he addressed the projections of the members of the World Security Council.  “Councilman Rockwell, we don’t believe the Winter Soldier actually exists.  He is just a story.  The person behind the character is likely just a fan of the Avengers, although we do plan to bring this person in for questioning.”

“Director Fury,” Councilwoman Hawley said sharply, “this _story_ of yours successfully foiled a _very real_ attack by members of AIM.  They have conceived of plans that were clever enough to warrant study by our tactical experts.  What’s more, we have intelligence that multiple other terrorist organizations _do_ believe the Winter Soldier exists and have listed them as either a threat or possible ally.”

“This is mad,” interjected Councilman Singh, “and they are jumping at ghosts.  As the director said this is all just someone’s fanciful creation.  Whoever it was that stopped AIM in Philadelphia was flesh and blood and probably just stole the name.”

Secretary Pierce raised a calming hand. “Councilmembers, whether the Winter Soldier operative is real or not, I believe we can agree that the owner of this account should be found.  I would be very interested in speaking with them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all!
> 
> For anyone interested, [TednTracy-Forever](http://tedntracy-forever.tumblr.com/) now exists on Tumblr. Come over and apply to be a Winter Soldier Minion!
> 
> Sorry for the delay. For some reason this chapter just did not want to be written. I must have started it at least three different times before finally getting anywhere.
> 
> My imaginary essay questions for Culver University are not as outlandish as they might seem. Check out these [real college essay questions](https://www.businessinsider.com/answer-crazy-college-admissions-essay-2013-7/).
> 
> The article mentioned in the story is real and the first page can be found [here](https://physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/full/10.1063/PT.3.2805/).


	7. Code of Conduct

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to [dls](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/dls/pseuds/dls) for both cheerleading and betaing this chapter!
> 
> Thank you to all of the Winter Soldier Minions for submitting your applications and helping create the Code of Conduct!
> 
> A few lines were taken or modified from Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

_The Winter Soldier felt hope and awe warm his heart as the large room filled with those who had answered his call._

_An eldritch being of darkness hung protectively over two recruits who had discovered they shared complementary shadow powers and were already making plans to test one’s ability to immobilize an enemy using their enemy’s shadow against the other’s ability to turn themselves into shadow._

_A small group were gathered around a laptop.  One minion with short lilac hair and a pair of safety goggles on the top of her head that she had obviously forgotten about was pointing excitedly at something on the screen.  Another minion, this one wearing any number of guns, knives, and other dangerous implements, nodded and pointed to something else on the screen while a third listened attentively even as she practiced manifesting a crossbow from thin air._

_Two chatting minions were walking behind the computer trio when one of the pair tripped over the computer cord, knocking over a number of chairs and was on a collision course for the refreshments table when her companion created a corporeal illusion of themselves to stop their forward momentum._

_Off to one side, a nondescript minion in his forties or fifties was speaking seriously with two younger minions, one with dirty blond hair and amber eyes and another whose humanoid form appeared to be composed of living diamond._

_Two energy manipulators, standing well away from the group with the computer, seemed to be sharing notes as one demonstrated what could only be called an energy surfboard._

_A shape-changer demonstrated her ability to a small white rabbit by shifting her arm into a blade, the rabbit watched with a vicious glint in its eye, and another minion seemed to be conversion with the inhabitants of a large fish tank along one wall._

_As the scheduled time arrived, the Winter Soldier rose to his feet and walked to the podium.  The crowd quickly fell silent and attentive, eager with anticipation._

_“Welcome, everyone.  The first meeting of The Winter Soldier and Minions will now come to order,” he said as he rapped a gavel once.  “Thank you for your interest in aiding my crusade to non-lethally defeat the Avengers and therefore prove that their numbers must be expanded.  If we can  also encourage the purchase and construction of several spaceships with lasers, all the better.  Our first order of business will be discussion and a vote on our Code of Conduct.  The committee chair has offered to read the Code of Conduct as it currently stands._

_The Winter Soldier sat down and ceded the floor.  A woman rose to her feet, startling several minions who hadn’t realized she was there.  In a voice used to command a room, she began reading the document._

_“Section I:  Basic Rules, subsection a.  Treat others as you wish to be treated.  Whether we are dealing with each other, our enemies, or innocent bystanders, treat others with respect.  We are all just doing our best.”_

 

~.~.~.

 

Abigail paused in her lecture to the class when she noticed the whispered discussion being held in the back of the room.  She crossed her arms and raised a pointed eyebrow at the group of ninth graders, who quieted quickly when they realized they had become the center of attention.  She waited a few moments just to let them squirm for a bit before addressing the issue.

“Peter, Ned, Michelle.  You seem to have found a topic of far more interest than the electoral college.  Would you care to share with the rest of us?”  Abigail expected the three to simply shake their heads and settle down so that she could continue with class, but they surprised her.  With a look among them, Michelle—of course—raised her hand.

“Ms. Warren, what sort of rules do the Avengers have to follow?”  

“Well,” Abigail said, taken aback.  “I’m not certain, but they report to SHIELD and the World Security Council, so I’m sure …”

“SHIELD, a government spy organization that no one knew about before the alien attack on New York, and the World Security Council, who ordered a nuclear strike on a city of over eight million people?  That SHIELD and World Security Council?” Michelle asked, raising an eyebrow of her own.  Ned and Peter beside her nodded and looked at Ms. Warren with a mixture of embarrassed apology for Michelle’s blunt question and expectant curiosity for the answer.

“Well …” Abigail said, floundering.  That … was a very good point.  She, like most New Yorkers, had been so grateful to the Avengers after saving them during the alien invasion and for their protection from subsequent villains that she hadn’t looked more closely.  She was beginning to wonder if they should have.  At her delay, Peter jumped in with his own questions.

“Everyone says Captain America is the leader of the Avengers, but how did they decide that?  Who made him leader?  Or was it a vote?  Who gets to vote, the other Avengers?  How do you get to be an Avenger?”  Peter was nearly bouncing in his seat in his excitement by the end.

“Do you think they could post their rules online for everyone to see?” Ned asked, looking down at something on a phone he was definitely _not_ supposed to have out during class.

Abigail took a deep breath.  Those … were _all_ very good questions.  “Ned, please put that away.  I don’t have answers for you right now, I’m afraid, but let me do a little research and discuss it with some of my colleagues.  For now, let’s return to Civics.”

 

~.~.~.

 

_“Section II: Treatment of Enemies, subsection a.  Do not kill enemies.  Subsection b.  Do not maim or permanently damage enemies.”_

 

~.~.~.

 

_Mister_Neverdie:  No killing?  At all?  Are you sure?_

_TednTracy_forever:  Very sure._

_Mister_Neverdie:  Not even a little?  Just a small ‘Oops, looks like my hand slipped and I murdered this guy’?_

_TednTracy_forever:  I don’t think you can ‘accidentally’ murder someone.  Premeditation is part of the definition, isn’t it?_

_Mister_Neverdie:  Come on.  What’s a little bloodshed between friends?  And what about manslaughter?  Crimes of Passion?!_

_TednTracy_forever:  The Winter Soldier doesn’t kill and he wouldn’t allow his minions to, either.  He’s just trying to prove a point._

_Mister_Neverdie:  *sigh*  Fine.  But what about the maiming?  Maybe just once in a while, on special occasions?_

_TednTracy_forever:  No._

_Mister_Neverdie:  Not even if the enemy is really, really annoying?_

_~.~.~._

_“Section II: Treatment of Enemies, subsection f.  Do not bother Tony Stark when Iron Man is off-duty.  Let both men enjoy their coffee break.”_

 

~.~.~.

 

“So … the Winter Soldier, huh?” Clint asked, voice echoing from the ceiling vent above Tony’s workspace.  Tony only sighed and continued soldering.  A moment later he could hear the grill in front of the grate being removed.

“I locked down the workshop for a reason, Birdbrain.  Did you think that didn’t apply to you?”  That reason being, of course, avoiding Fury’s further attempts to browbeat him into removing the encryptions he had set up on the fan site that hosted the ‘Winter Soldier’ story.  The site ran exactly the same as far as the users and designers were concerned, but anyone trying to break in and steal user data would find their own computer frozen and playing “Let It Go” over its speakers for the next several hours. 

Hearing Idina Menzel singing from multiple workstations when he had last visited the helicarrier had given Tony a needed moral boost.

“Naw,” Clint said as he dropped lightly from the now open ceiling vent.  “If you’d wanted to keep me out, you’d have sicced your air vent-cleaning Roombas on me well before I got this far.  Those guys are mean.”

Tony shrugged without looking up from his work.  Clint wasn’t wrong.  After all, he’d been getting his own chewing out for claiming ignorance about who the ‘mysterious anonymous tip’ had been from during the AIM hijacking of the physics conference in Philadelphia.  Giving Clint a place to hide in solidarity only seemed fair.

Clint pulled up a lab stool and sat down close enough to watch Tony work without getting in the way.  “As I was saying, so … the Winter Soldier, huh?” 

Tony frowned, giving the wires he’d just soldered together a light tug to check the join before shooting Clint an annoyed look.  “What about him?”  Clint smiled innocently, which immediately put Tony on guard.

“Since ‘someone’,” Clint said, putting his hands up in air quotes, “claiming to be the Winter Soldier saved a lot of people in Philadelphia, including a few of my friends, I got curious, you know?  Looked up that story.  They seem to spend a lot of time having their character bantering with Iron Man and praising Tony Stark’s genius.  I could be reading too much into things, but the Winter Soldier seems to have a bit of a crush on both Tony Stark _and_ Iron Man, don’t you think?”  Clint waggled his eyebrows for emphasis.

Tony rolled his eyes, turning back to his work.  He switched off the soldering gun and placed it back on its base, then began assembling the parts of the device.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.  Besides, whoever the Winter Soldier is, they’re busy planning villainous activities for their new fictional minions and inadvertently giving the WSC and SHIELD a conniption fit.  I think their plate if full right now.”

“You haven’t looked up the identity of the person who wrote the story?” Clint asked, surprised.

Tony felt himself hunching his shoulders as he continued to work.  “… no.  My knowing would be almost as bad as SHIELD.  Whoever it is doesn’t need my chaos disrupting their life.”

Clint was silent for a time, picking up a washer and running it deftly over his knuckles and through his fingers.  “Tony,” he said quietly after a few minutes, “during the invasion, when you took the bomb through the portal, what did you see?”

Tony’s hands stilled but he kept himself looking straight ahead.  “I’ve told you before.  I thought all of you were tired of hearing it.”

“Tell me again,” Clint said, “one more time.”

Tony set down the tools and ran his hands over his face.  “You were there.  A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space.  On the other side, as close to an infinite number of enemy ships as you can imagine.  You really think one nuclear weapon took all of them out?  You really think, what, that the six of us on our own are enough when they try again?”

Clint flicked the washer, sending it spinning on the workbench surface.  “I guess after Loki, I just didn’t want to think about it,” he admitted as he watched the small piece of metal slowly spin down and come to a stop.  “So this person has the right idea?  Expand the Avengers?”

Tony sighed as he picked up the tools he had abandoned.  “Maybe.  Bruce and I had a different idea, a way to protect the Earth and make the Avengers obsolete, but it’s years, maybe decades, from being ready to implement.  A few more people in our ranks wouldn’t hurt.  The Avengers are U.S. based, though, with one of the most recognized symbols of the American military leading it and a former American weapons manufacturer as a member.  No matter what our intentions, expanding would make a lot of people around the world very nervous.  I’m not interested in taking part in another arms race, only this time with enhanced individuals.”

Smiling grimly, Clint shook his head.  “If you think no one else is trying to use people with superpowers to give themselves a leg up, you’ve clearly been out of the game too long.”

Tony grimaced, nodding.  “Working directly for the WSC isn’t an option, though.  They may have global influence, but none of us would trust them not to cut their losses again like they did during the Chitauri invasion.” 

“Cap might actually eat his shield if we told him we were taking orders from the WSC,” Clint said with a huff of laughter.

Tony snorted in agreement.  “What’s more, trying to establish ourselves as an international organization not beholden to any one government or the WSC isn’t going to make people any happier.  Then we’re just a bunch of vigilantes with no authority and no oversight.  We have the public’s good will right now, but eventually something is going to go wrong.  We’re only human.  And if we’re standing alone when that happens?  It’s not going to be pretty.”

Clint watched him as he made a final adjustment to the device, closed the lid, and brought up a holographic keyboard and screen to begin typing rapidly.  “You know, there is another intergovernmental organization that may be interested in keeping the world safe,” Clint said thoughtfully.

Tony paused and looked at him in surprise.  “The United Nations?  They haven’t weighed in on enhanced individuals before.”

Clint shrugged.  “It’s an idea.  Their whole deal is promoting international co-operation, right?  Maybe they could get countries to cooperate on saving the world from aliens.  At least it can’t hurt to bring all this up to the others.” 

Tony hummed and turned back to his typing.  A few minutes later he closed the holograms and clapped his hands together once. 

“Alright, let’s see what this bad boy can do,” he said, turning a switch on one side of the metal contraption.

“And what exactly is it supposed to do?” Clint asked, cocking his head to the side.

Tony blinked.  “Umm, that’s actually a good question.  I was just tinkering to get my mind off of things.  JARVIS?”

Suddenly a mechanical arm appeared from one side of the device holding a spatula.  It waved the spatula threateningly at the two men.

“It would appear, Sir, that you have created the world’s first pancake-flipping AI,” came JARVIS’ dry reply.

Clint and Tony watched as wheels appeared from the bottom of the device and the small robot began to trundle around the workbench, poking angrily at various odds and ends with the spatula and then flipping them onto the floor.

“He seems a little moody for a pancake-flipping robot, doesn’t he?” Clint asked.  “I’d expect him to be a bit happier.”

JARVIS made a sound that simulated a sigh.  “Sir allowed the AI to research making pancakes while his body was being constructed.  I believe he took the ill-advised change in the name of the International House of Pancakes to the International House of Breakfast rather personally.”

DUM-E came over to investigate the newest addition but reared back when the pancake-flipping robot spun towards him and took a challenging en garde position with the spatula.

“You know, I do agree with the Winter Soldier and his minions on one thing, at least,” said Clint.  “I think you and Bruce should let the rest of us know ahead of time before you perform any major experiments.  If your grumpy pancake-flipping robot had been much larger, one of those safety and emergency evacuation plans would sound really good right about now.”

Tony glared and shoved a laughing Clint off his stool where the archer continued to cackle from the floor.  He turned back to his newest creation only to see DUM-E had acquired a wrench and now he and the pancake-flipping robot seemed to be recreating a sword fighting scene from the 1940 Mark of Zorro.

Tony gave a long-suffering sigh and nodded.  “Yeah, okay.  Maybe you’re right.”

 

~.~.~.

 

_Section III:  Treatment of Non-Combatants and Innocent Bystanders, subsection a.  Do not involve non-combatants and innocent bystanders during battles._

 

~.~.~.

 

Alexander pulled out his secure cellphone as soon as he was clear of the Triskelion’s surveillance.

“Rumlow here,” came a gruff voice.

“This is Pierce.  Keep all STRIKE personnel on site.  The timetable has been moved.  Our window is limited.  One target, presumed Level Three.  As soon as any information on who this ‘Winter Soldier’ is found, I want you there first.  Capture and interrogate.”

“Understood.”

 

~.~.~.

 

_Section IV:  Expectations of Minions_

 

~.~.~.

 

High on her acceptance to her new position, a nondescript but preternaturally unlucky person decided to go for a walk around her neighborhood and somehow found herself lost on a high security island in the middle of the Potomac River.  Dejectedly cursing her luck once again, she wandered aimlessly, trying to avoid the guard patrols, when a middle-aged man in a trench coat strode by their hiding spot.

“… information on who this ‘Winter Soldier’ is, I want you there first.  Capture and interrogate.”

The person’s eyes grew large with surprise as the man turned back towards the large, imposing building.  Quickly she whipped out her own phone and placed an urgent message to a group chat.

After all, quoting her favorite part of their new Code of Conduct, _the Winter Soldier Minions look after their own._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all!
> 
> For anyone interested, [TednTracy-Forever](http://tedntracy-forever.tumblr.com/) exists on Tumblr. Come over and apply to be a Winter Soldier Minion!
> 
> The full Code of Conduct for the Winter Soldier Minions can be found [here](https://tedntracy-forever.tumblr.com/post/178871461319/official-code-of-conduct-hi-all-below).
> 
> Thank you to Fluffy, Cyber, Kirashea, Tag, Electrostorm, The Ever-Changing Shadow, Fold Ger, Ceto, Lost Knight, Baddollar, Prestige, Shadow, Cloak, Shockwave, Dismay, Judis, Jane Doe, and Hazel!

**Author's Note:**

> Story partially inspired by [Peter’s Evil Overlord List](http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html).
> 
> I don't post often, but I can be found here on [Tumblr](http://arboreal-elm-ash-oak.tumblr.com/). 
> 
> I'd love to hear from you. Comments are food for the fic writer's soul. :)


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